Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to data storage devices including one or more semiconductor memory devices. More particularly, embodiments of the inventive concept relate to memory modules including a plurality of semiconductor memory chips.
Contemporary memory modules are typically configured by mounting a plurality of semiconductor memory chips, such as Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) on a printed circuit board (PCB). The mounted semiconductor memory chips are capable of parallel operation and must therefore be able to simultaneously receive/transmit a variety of electrical signals (e.g., data, address and/or control signals).
Computational devices, such as processors, controllers, and digital logic circuits are increasingly required to communicate data at higher speeds and greater bandwidth. As a result, data storage devices must be capable of operating at increasingly high frequencies, and with greater data throughput. As a further result, the number of faster, smaller, and more densely integrated semiconductor memory chips mounted on contemporary memory modules is increasing. Hence, the overall configuration of memory modules is becoming more complicated and available physical space on many memory modules comes at a premium.
Adding to this growing complexity, it is usually necessary to ensure that the signal transmission pathways are properly terminated on a memory module in order to reduce or minimize impedance mismatches that may result in the loss or degradation of signal integrity.